Tangled Destiny
by Syeira-la
Summary: Mosskit, a kit with a life cut short-for a reason? She died seasons ago but now she's back, plunged into a prophecy she was destined to be a part of. Dovekit has died, but her powers must live on-through Mosskit. But what is life if you're not yourself?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: That's right, it's a new story! This one was borne of my recent obsession with a quite random and insignificant character-Mosskit, Bluestar's daughter. Yes, "Bluestar's Prophecy" did this to me. Reviews are LOVED and very much appreciated, keep that in mind as you reach the bottom of this page…not much more to say, so please enjoy and let me know what you think!**

All there was was cold, pressing and unyielding to the small's kit's struggles. She shivered, her entire body shaking in unbearable pain from the endless cold. Flakes of snow mocked her beneath her tiny paws, dancing through the sky to come to rest on the ground. They were so happy, even in this bone-chilling cold. The kit envied them so much, even if it was irrational. Dancing in the cold…

The clouds were moving so swiftly, fleeing across her vision. The little kit's dark green eyes remained locked on the sky, icy tears seeping from their corners. She was so _cold…_and her face was still staring at that fierce gray sky as her legs buckled beneath her and she fell to the snow.

Her breath came quickly and shallowly, like the faintest gasp as a newborn bird slips into life. Her ears rang and the snow tilted beneath her wide eyes. She tried to cry for help, but her voice was only a tiny whisper lost in the vast snow. "Bluestar!" She wanted to scream, but it was no use.

Her heart pounded wildly, her breath strange and choking in her throat. She coughed feebly before everything, the snow's brightness, the sky's anger, was magnified like everything was coming clear for her. The kit marveled at it for only a few seconds before everything was fading to a nice black, soft and warm…and then everything was gone, lost to the death she now knew she was experiencing.

----------

In Starclan, everything is better. It's never cold, it's never too hot. There's never a shortage of prey. There's no fighting, no blood, no pain. No one is ever fatigued or angry. The sky is a gorgeous swirl of brilliant blue. The land around us is perfect, every tendril a finely sculpted burst of life.

At least, that's what you think at first. But that's barely scratching the surface. No, I'm not unearthing a secret evil running through it, or some terrible facet hidden in the glory.

But our sentence there is never ending. What's wrong with a sentence in perfection? It's wrong, so wrong. Because it's worthless, every step we take, every breath we breathe in death, means nothing. And all anyone wants to do is go back.

I stared down at the pool, glowing iridescent with moonlight, a curve of light in the dark of Starclan night. Faces sparkled on the surface, life glowing from every piece of fur on their bodies. I sighed, envious. All I could do was watch, and remember, and wish.

"Mosskit?" I turned slowly to see my mother standing beside me, watching me closely. She looked concerned, and I knew she was worried about my obsession with life.

"Yes, Bluestar?" I meowed quietly, broken from my life-lit trance.

"Just wondering what you were doing," Bluestar meowed. "I wanted to see you. Oakheart, too."

"Yeah," I mewed unwillingly. I didn't want to be torn away from my sanctuary here.

"Come on," Bluestar meowed and just about dragged me to the Center. For those of you who don't know, the Center is the very middle of Starclan. Just about everyone stays there most of the time, it's _huge. _Of course my mother was going to keep me there when all I wanted to do was watch.

"Bluestar!" There was my father's joyous cry as he rushed up, purring and pressed against her. "Mosskit," he meowed with a smile, touching me with his tail-tip. I offered a small smile, because I knew I had to. Don't think I don't love my parents, I do. Very much. But I certainly didn't want to sit with a bunch of other dead cats in the Center all night long.

Bluestar and Oakheart began to pad into the thick group of cats, motioning for me to follow. I sighed and went, boredom setting in as my parents chatted with other cats. I gazed in the direction of the Echopool, my sanctuary. I wouldn't get to go back there tonight.

The night wore on until, finally, I was able to sneak off to my nest in the kit's den. I dropped into it unwillingly and tried to sleep, but of course, it was no use. Cautiously, I rose to my paws, looking around to make sure no one was following me.

I raced out, paws flying and fur streaming. The Echopool loomed into view and, exhausted, I stopped.

When I was finally able to look into the pool, it was like a gasp of fresh air, and relief flooded me. But the pool's surface wasn't its usual crystalline clear, it was clouded and murky. Someone had just died.

When a cat dies, their spirit is pulled from the earth and into the Echopool before being finally released into Starclan. That's what was happening now. I peered through the water to find a kit floating in its clutches. The kit was a fluffy, pale gray with green eyes. My eyes closed for an instant, memories of what had happened to me so many seasons ago flashing through my mind. The cold…the terrible unyielding of the icy snakes of death…and of course, the terror.

I shuddered, wanting nothing more than to just expel those memories from my being, cast them away forever. But of course, Starclan could never be that kind.

My now-glassy eyes turned back to the kit's body rising slowly from the shine of the water. Which isn't water, by the way. It's some combination of light and spirit; exactly what it is only River, Thunder, Wind, and Shadow know.

The kit's body hung suspended for an instant, ripples moving restlessly from its still form. I was puzzled—the waves were growing with every pulsation, and turning a terribly foreboding green. I realized what was happening a second later—the spirit of the kit was _fighting. _The kit's soul was resisting breaking its final ties to the earth. As far as I knew, this had never happened before.

Usually, it only takes a few minutes before the soul slips from the Echopool, the connection and tie between earth. Without the final severing of the cat's spirit from the Echopool, the cat couldn't be in Starclan. Not that it was even possible to _not _sever the spirit from earth through the Echopool…

I watched, awestruck, as the fight continued. The waves were turbulent and crashing against the body of the kit, flinging it everywhere, and yet the spirit still did not slip from the pool.

Slowly, the green faded away, blackening angrily before disappearing with a final angry burst of color. I gaped in surprise as the kit rose, fur sticking out wildly, green eyes glowing in desperation.

"No!" She howled in frustration and despair. "No, no, no!" I stood back, eyes still wide. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. The soul of the dead cat was _supposed _to sort of float out in a ghostly form, all shimmery and not at all solid. This was the dead kit's physical body standing before me, green eyes narrowed in frustration and something bordering on hysteria.

"This can't have happened," she muttered to herself. Then her eyes flew wide with surprise, as if she was seeing me for the first time. "Who're you?" She demanded, looking at me incredulously. "I'm not dead yet, you can't be Starclan!"

I wavered. Well, she didn't look like the thousands of other dead cats I had seen-she certainly wasn't just regularly dead. Something was up.

"Um, I'm from Starclan," I began cautiously. "But no, you don't look quite dead to me."

The kit shook her head. "I AM dying, just not yet. I can't go without leaving someone here to help the rest."

I had no idea what she was going on about. I shook my head in confusion, lacking the words to reply.

Her eyes pierced into mine. "You'll help me, won't you? You HAVE to!" She growled.

"What do you need?" I asked dubiously. She was dead, or dying, or something. There wasn't anything I could do for her.

"Don't you have any idea who I am?" She asked, her eyes wide as if it was ludicrous if I didn't.

I shook my head wordlessly.

"I'm Dovekit, the third kin of Firestar's kin."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes, second chapter! So go on, read it, you know you want to! And review, of course…thanks to my reviewers of the first chapter, you guys are so awesome!**

_Kin of your kin…kin of your kin…kin of your kin… _

----

_"You do realize what this means, correct?" The dark gray she-cat with a flat face and yellowed teeth hissed. "They've thought it was Hollyleaf for absolutely nothing. And now she's doomed to die."_

_ The blue gray she-cat standing next to her hissed in fury. "I wasn't going to just tell them everything! It was not the time for such things!"_

_ "And now what? They must realize Dovekit is the one of the prophecy or all is lost!"_

_ "Have some faith!" The blue gray Starclan cat rebuked the other. "They will see all things in time."_

_ The shimmering dark gray she-cat snorted. "You are so foolish, Bluestar. Always depending on your futile hopes to pull you through. What if they do not realize her true role? What then?"_

_ Bluestar curled her lip in disgust. "Then I guess you'll just step in and ruin it all, huh?" She hissed and stalked away, tail lashing furiously._

_----_

I couldn't believe it. All the arguments between Starclan's highest ranking members clashed in my mind, bringing to the surface the terrible tension that lingered through the Three's birth. Bluestar and Yellowfang—clanmates fighting each other for the sake of a prophecy. Hollyleaf's death, which only created more fights and anger. The only hope left was that Dovekit and the others would realize who she really was and work together to use their powers correctly.

And now Dovekit was _dead? _Without her…I gulped. The clans were as good as ruined without her.

"Dovekit…" I choked out. "How did this happen?"

"No time!" She hissed, her eyes flaring with some unseen struggle. Then I noticed why she was so frantic. The water was churning around her angrily, its waves a blood red. It was sucking at Dovekit's paws, attempting to drag her down to oblivion.

"Just HELP me!" She hissed, her eyes wide and desperate.

"I can't save your life!" I yowled, terrified. Why did this horrible burden have to fall on me?

"I don't need you to." Dovekit's green eyes were narrowed with concentration. "I'm done here. It's over. But my power has to live on, do you understand?" Her eyes were icy calm and wise, like she had suddenly been propelled forward a hundred seasons. Maybe that's what the prospect of sudden death did to someone.

I nodded mutely, not understanding at all what the powerful kit was hinting at.

"Then you agree?"

At this point I was past trying to figure out what the kit was going for. I stood still, looking at her. "What do you want me to do?"

She opened her mouth as if to explain, but her physical form suddenly started to shimmer, weaken. The blood red crawled swiftly up her legs, and I knew Starclan was taking her back.

"No time!" She hissed, looking at me with a sadness that looked as though she regretted what she was about to do. "I'm sorry I can't explain—just trust me."

I had no time to react, to pull back, when she came at me. Her eyes glowed eerily and locked me in place, and I couldn't twitch a single muscle. Green fire raced from her sharp eyes, firing into my own and sending agony roaring through my body. I wanted to cry out in pain and bewilderment. I hadn't even known this was possible!

My Starclan form faded around me. I was fading, losing sense of everything, becoming almost transparent against the night sky. And then I was tumbling into darkness, losing every sense of myself, and my being. What was happening to me?

A voice was the only thing echoing in the nothing, and I instantly recognized it as Dovekit's through the fog of my brain.

"_Truth…find the Truth. Let loose your binds to this place…ow! Let go, don't make this harder for me! Listen. I am done, over. My soul has been defeated, and my time on earth is over. But you were never meant to die, Mosskit. You had a destiny cut short by Starclan—there was no other way. They didn't know what they were doing, of course, but somewhere in the essence of Truth I told them to. They didn't mean to kill you, but…" she sighed. "I made them because you were the true third, but you didn't carry the blood. I had the power, yes, but I had to face my own truth. Because my power was never anything like you will be…shine, Mosskit, shine like the star you were always meant to be…" _

Dovekit's voice was fading, to be replaced by the swooning heaviness of my own darkness. I strained upward toward consciousness, anything, toward the whispering voice…and it all ended with a snap and crashing blackness over me.

----

"Dovekit! Dovekit!" Panicked, yelling voices all around me. It was strange, like I was suspended, floating in numbness. The voices echoing were like barbs, cutting through the haze of my consciousness.

"Oh, Starclan, no…" There was mournful moaning then, the sharp cut of grief slicing through the words.

"Don't take her now!" It was a she-cat speaking, her words surrounded by the babble of confused meows.

A low, insistent murmur caught my attention. A tom's meow. "Jayfeather, what does this mean for the prophecy? This can't be happening—she's the third!"

Another low grumble answered, pinched with hidden fear. "Are you really asking me this?" His tone was sharp, covering up the fear within. It was so buried I could barely pick it out from the rest of the sarcasm and anger. "You know what it means. The prophecy is ruined."

"But what do we _do?" _The other tom asked, his voice fraught with tense confusion and fear.

"Nothing," the grumbling tom muttered. "There's nothing left."

The other she-cat's voice cut back in. She sounded like she was young, maybe around six moons old. "Do something, Jayfeather! You have to save her, she's my sister!"

Pawsteps. Then a light touch came through the haze, shooting through my consciousness. "Wait a second…" the grumbling tom's voice muttered, so quietly I was sure no one else could hear. Then, louder, "I think she's still breathing!"

"You _think? _You're a medicine cat, you should know!" The she-cat's voice meowed sharply.

There was a low hiss and another light touch. "She's alive," the grumbling tom confirmed.

"Let me see her." This was another voice, strong and commanding. It was also a tom.

"Firestar, she's alive!" The she-cat's voice meowed in a mixture of relief and eagerness.

"Thank Starclan," the commanding tom's voice meowed. "You and Lionblaze carry her back to camp, quickly. Jayfeather will treat her properly there." There were shuffling noises and I felt a strange sense of being lifted, when it hit me.

Pain like nothing I had ever experienced before roared through my consciousness. Suddenly I was aware of my physical body again, every strand of fur and paw pad. It was indescribable…like fire was tearing my body to pieces, and every part of me was falling to ruin.

I think I screamed, but I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure. My mind recoiled from the agony, throwing me into the darkness once more.

----

The pain was gone. All I knew was the soft moss cushioning my body as I came back to consciousness. I groaned as a reflex, and I was surprised to find that I could hear the sound through awakening ears. I blinked my eyes open slowly, the sudden light burning into them painfully.

A gray tabby-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyes was standing over me, eyes shining in joy.

"Dovekit!" She exclaimed. "You're awake!"

**A HAH! You know what this means… read on! Or wait for the next chapter, anyway! And review, of course. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thankies to my reviewers (Yes, the four of you are awesome)! Ok, so before the next reviews I get are only to rip my throat out because of OOC, let me explain why the characters may not be what they are in the books. Later in this chappie features the apprentices, who we haven't really learned much about personality-wise, or if we did, I just wasn't paying attention. So I gave them new personalities! Hope you like!**

"Leave her be," the rumbling tom's voice came from the back of the den I was in. My newly-opened eyes registered the voice's source even through the haze of my mind's confusion. It was Jayfeather, one of the Thunderclan cats I had watched from the Echopool for all of my time in Starclan.

"She's still injured, but she's going to heal," Jayfeather continued. I could hardly make sense of it all—why were they calling me Dovekit, and more importantly, what was I doing on Earth?

The gray and white tabby kit pouted. I knew who she was now—Ivykit, Dovekit's sister. "As long as she's getting better," she decided after a moment's pause. "Her apprentice ceremony won't be delayed, will it?" She began again, a tinge of panic in her meow.

Jayfeather shook his head. "I don't know. She was mauled pretty badly by that fox. I didn't even think she would survive."

I struggled to figure out what was happening—I was Mosskit, not Dovekit! I had just been by the Echopool and…and…Dovekit had been dying, but she had fought it. I had talked to her and she had done something to me. She had said, "trust me," and green fire had come from her eyes and into mine, and all had gone black…

"Dovekit? Dovekit, how are you feeling?" That was Ivykit, snapping me back to the strange new reality I was facing. I stared at her mutely for a moment, trying to grip control of my body. "F-fine," I managed.

"Good," the other kit said warmly. I nodded just a bit as realization came flooding into me. Obviously everyone thought I was Dovekit, who had died. I think. What was going on here?

"Let her sleep," Jayfeather meowed. Ivykit nodded reluctantly and left the den. I stared blankly at the entrance to the den. "You heard me, sleep," Jayfeather growled and I closed my eyes again.

Sleep brought no relief. It seemed that as soon as I closed my eyes the dream began.

I was standing on water slicked boulders on the edge of a lake, but the lake was endless, stretched out before me, and turbulent; winds that threw waves across its surface lashed my face and fur. "What's going on here?" I cried out, but the booming thunder stole my words away.

The sky was black in night, and the stars were slowly blinking out…out…There was a flash of green light and I was back in my nest, heart pounding frantically.

Jayfeather wasn't there anymore, and from the light pouring into the den, I guessed it must be sun high. I shuddered as I remembered my dream—it had been so chaotic, and there was an underlying terror running through it all.

And I still didn't know what to do. What in Starclan was going on!!?? I stumbled uneasily to my paws, making my way to the drinking pool at the back of the medicine cat den and looking into the reflective gleam.

I was looking at Dovekit. I twitched my ear, and watched in horror as the reflection did the same. As Dovekit did the same. I trembled violently, horror icing my heart. What had the dying kit done to me?

"Dovekit! Oh, my Dovekit!" I blinked in surprise as Whitewing burst in, rubbing against me in relief. "You're alive! I didn't think…when the fox broke into the nursery and you tried to fight it…and you were so badly hurt…I…" She broke off and purred wildly, licking me all over.

I squirmed away. Ick. "Whitewing, I'm…_mom," _I corrected myself hastily, "I'm fine." Whitewing laughed, licking me between the ears. "Good to see you're back to normal," she purred.

I paused. Did I want everyone to think I was Dovekit? What was I _doing? _Shouldn't I be telling someone…Firestar? Someone who could help me? Jayfeather?

Whitewing smiled and flicked me with her tail. "Come on, let's go get you some prey, huh?"

I nodded tensely. At the moment my mind certainly wasn't on food. I padded awkwardly out of the den and into camp center, feeling miserable as all eyes turned on me. It was like they could see right through me, to who I really was…but didn't I want to be found out?

I shook myself and took a robin from the pile and began to chew it listlessly. Whitewing was watching me intently, a broad grin on her face. I could practically hear what she was thinking—the joy at my 'recovery' was written all over my face.

"Dovekit!" A voice squealed in my ear. Ugh. I could practically feel my ear drums bursting. I glanced in the direction of the voice to see Blossompaw's eager eyes gleaming inches from mine. I recognized her instantly from my Echopool watching, as I did every cat in the clans.

"You're ok!!!" She gave a little bounce, her fur fluffed up with excitement. It was hard to stop myself from rolling my eyes—she was such a kit.

"Yeah," I muttered, looking back down at my robin.

A dark brown apprentice and her brother padded up behind Blossompaw. They were Briarpaw and Bumblepaw, her siblings. "Good to see you're ok," Briarpaw meowed warmly, her eyes soft and sparkling happily.

Bumblepaw dipped his head. "Of course," he echoed his sister. "We were worried." His eyes were as warm as Briarpaw's, though not the same brilliant gold as his sisters'. His were a warm chocolate brown, I noted.

Blossompaw laughed lightly, her laugh high and sharp. I winced inwardly as she pierced my ears yet again. "But we believed in you," she meowed with wide and shining eyes as she gave another bounce.

Bumblepaw rolled his eyes good naturedly at his sister and grabbed a mouse. "Come on guys, let's go eat." He gave me a little grin and steered Blossompaw away, Briarpaw following behind them.

I glanced back down at my food and picked at it disinterestedly. I realized Whitewing was still watching me, her eyes still sparkling. It was pretty unnerving, and I just suddenly wanted to escape her gaze.

Firestar came up then, saving me. Brambleclaw was beside him, his eyes glowing happily. They were all so happy to see me alive, and for some reason it made me feel strange. It hit me with a pang; they were happy to see Dovekit alive, not me, Mosskit, stuck in her body. "Dovekit," Firestar purred, taking a seat beside me. He selected a vole from the fresh kill pile and wrapped his tail over his paws. Brambleclaw nodded to me, taking a seat by his leader, but without getting any prey.

"Uh, hello, Firestar," I meowed, clearing my throat. The strangeness of it all struck me again, as this cat who was my leader had been born many seasons after me. "And Brambleclaw," I added.

"Hello," Whitewing meowed beside me, dipping her head respectfully.

I fought back the urge to groan in exasperation at Whitewing's clinginess. What, did she think I was going to get attacked again? Or, not again anyway, since that hadn't been me.

Firestar smiled at me, taking a bite of his mouse and swallowing. "So, you're doing well? Jayfeather has told me you're recovering very quickly, even faster than usual." I realized what that must be after a moment. Dead cats heal fast, huh? Starclan couldn't help itself.

"Any specific question you'd like to ask me?" He meowed, eyes twinkling playfully. I stared at him blankly for a minute before understanding what he was getting at. I was supposed to be a kit with nothing more on my mind than my apprentice ceremony, of course.

"Oh yeah!" I meowed, feigning eager happiness. "My apprentice ceremony, right? That won't be delayed, will it?" Ick. I could taste the fake dripping off of every word I said. I just really wasn't in the mood to be excited about anything.

Firestar obviously didn't see through the disguise in my words. "Well…" he meowed slowly, teasing me. "Your wounds were pretty extensive, but with your rate of recovery, I don't think a regular ceremony will be a problem." He grinned, and I laughed in happiness.

"Yes!" I meowed, my tail twitching eagerly. Of course, this was an act. But even as I said it, an unbidden thrill ran through me. Apprentice…I had died before I had ever had a chance. What if this was a good thing? What if this wasn't a terrible curse, something I needed to feel bad and confused about…what if this was my second chance at life?

I noticed Rosepetal coming over to the fresh kill pile, a knowing smile on her features. "Apprentice ceremony, huh?" She let out a little laugh. "I remember mine. It's great yours won't be delayed!"

I nodded and smiled, remembering Rosepetal was a new warrior. She grabbed a vole and trotted off to eat with her brother, and after a moment's pause, Whitewing left as well. I saw Ivykit coming out of the nursery and assumed that was where she was headed. I sighed in relief and padded away from the pile, heading up the rock wall that led to the sun basking area. I remembered when Honeyfern had been killed there moons ago; in fact, I had been at the Echopool when she had died.

A few elders slumbered there now, stretched luxuriously out in the sun. I followed their example, closing my eyes against the green-leaf sun's glare and attempting to use the brief peace to sort through what was happening to me.

My eyes shut to the sun's light and plunged me not into darkness but immediately into a field basked in starlight, with a very agitated looking cat standing amidst its waving grasses. She bounded up, sharp green eyes narrowed in agitation. Only then did I notice that her form was wavering, barely there, only a thin specter in the night. It was nowhere close to the form of a regular Starclan cat—it was much too weak.

I knew her at once—she was my own reflection, Dovekit, only she was the real thing.

"Dovekit?" I meowed, wondering at her harried expression.

"Yes!" She snapped, her eyes narrowed. "I don't have much time," she meowed sharply, her paws working frustratedly. "Just pay attention," she growled, her eyes snapping my attention up to her face. I noticed she didn't look so kit-like now, her body a bit larger and more filled out.

Her eyes, so strangely wise before, certainly weren't a kits' eyes. They held the wisdom and experience of someone much older than her five moons.

"I have something important to tell you," she continued. "Listen!" What, was I not paying enough attention already?

"It's about the prophecy I was a part of. The prophecy you are now a part of."


	4. Chapter 4

My paws were jumping backwards without my consent. Or rather, without my control of them. I recoiled in shock in confusion, though my mind was still frozen in place, too confused to deal with what was going on.

Of _course _I should have known this. Of _course _this whole thing wasn't just a 'second chance'. Why was I so naïve? I was being _used, _whether I wanted to admit it or not. And since Dovekit had given me this 'gift' of _course _I would be expected to fulfill some crazy prophecy.

_Some _crazy prophecy? But this wasn't even some random prophecy. It was THE prophecy, the Omen of the stars. The one I had known about since its beginnings.

Dovekit's frustrated snarl snapped me out of my frozen confusion. "Look at me!" She hissed, her eyes grabbing mine and locking them into her own. The eerie green glow flew at my eyes, and suddenly I felt disconnected from what was going on. I could hear everything, but I certainly couldn't move, even if I wanted to.

"Now," she muttered, stance relaxing a bit. I could still see suppressed anxiety in her eyes, like time was running short. Well, that was obvious from her repeated exclamations and outbursts.

I realized how much she had changed since she had died. When she had been on earth and I had been watching, she had been an eager and happy kit, like any other. She had loved to play pranks and she was always getting into trouble. In other words, just like any other five-moon old Thunderclan cat.

But now she was anything but young. An air of ancient wisdom surrounded her like an aura. Her eyes flamed now with snappish fury, but her eyes were as deep and depthless as if she had lived for many seasons. She didn't even look like a kit anymore, I noticed, but like a young warrior.

"Oh, focus!" She growled. "You want to know why I'm so wound up? You're a naïve kit who I THOUGHT was ready for this power, but you won't even LISTEN! Oh yeah, and, I only have a few short moments to tell you everything you need to know before I DISAPPEAR!" She glared at me, green eyes bright with fury.

I would have shrunk back if I had been able to move. A terrifying though hit me—had she been able to read my thoughts just then?

Dovekit opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but shook her head violently. "Do I have your attention now? Good." Her form wavered and grew more transparent, the only part of her remaining clear and vibrant were her piercing eyes. "The prophecy you now carry is, indeed, mine. The Power of Three? You are now the third. Well, I am, technically, but you carry my power."

What? Why? I wanted to ask so much, but my mouth was locked shut. "Just don't do anything foolish, ok?" She pressed on, her meow's pace increasing rapidly. "Don't let anyone know about this, that you look like me and everything. Make them believe I am you! I will tell you more later, of course, but for now, just don't get caught." She shimmered.

"Just live like usual, like you would have before. The prophecy will come in time." She winced and her eyes narrowed. "I have to go, just don't do anything mouse-brained!"

She disappeared, and I was tossed back into life. My eyes blinked open to the sun's glare, and I remembered I was basking on the sun rocks at the top of the gorge. I shut my eyes again, blocking any thoughts of what had just happened from my head. I didn't want to have to face what Dovekit had told me.

But it found its way into my head anyway. It was just too unbelievable—Dovekit had died from a fox attack, from what I had heard from Jayfeather about my own wounds. But she had intercepted me in Starclan and, what, passed her powers onto me? And now I was stuck with the burden of THE prophecy?

I groaned. Great. I opened my eyes reluctantly, getting to my paws with a heavy sigh. The elders still slumbered on the stones, though the sun was beginning its descent down the horizon. It was hard to believe that it had only been a day since I had been thrust into Dovekit's body and the prophecy.

I picked my way down the stones, yawning as I did. _Be Dovekit…I have to convince everyone that I am someone I'm not. _I wanted to just hide away and not have to deal with it all, but I had a responsibility. Not that I knew what that responsibility was, anyway. _Why _did I have to do this? Why couldn't Dovekit tell me?

I shook my head and paused in the midst of camp, drinking in the bustle of warriors returning from patrol and friends sharing tongues around the fresh kill pile. I couldn't forget the longing of not so long ago, of standing by the Echopool wishing with all my heart that I could experience it again. And now that I was here, I couldn't help the thrill making my heart jump. Everything was _alive! _I could almost become giddy off the vibrant sun's glow.

"Dovekit!" A deep tom's joyous mew made me jump. "Oh, Dovekit, Dovekit," I turned to see the glowing eyes of Birchfall, my supposed father. He flicked me lovingly with his tail, his eyes shining. "Oh, you're ok, you…" he choked up, a purr rumbling deep in his chest. He nuzzled me softly, purring all the while.

"Dad," I meowed, my heart throbbing at his tender words. And, for the first time since all this had happened to me, I felt homesick. Not for Starclan, which was as much a home as a prison, but for my family.

I winced inwardly as I remembered the last time I had spoken to my own father. He loved me, I knew. But I had still treated him with contempt the other night. Him and Bluestar. Birchfall purred again, licking me between the ears.

I smiled warmly at him, eyes sparkling. I felt genuinely loved by him, and it was unbelievable. Suddenly I didn't feel so confused or lost. This clan was behind me every step of the way.

No. Not _me. _My heart plummeted. He loved Dovekit; Dovekit was his daughter, not me. I gave him a smile again, best that I could manage, and attempted a rough purr. Sadness darkened my eyes, and I had to turn away.

"Thanks, Birchfall," I meowed. "I'm fine, really." I gave him a little grin, but I'm sure it didn't reach my eyes. Birchfall nodded and grabbed a squirrel.

"Want something?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I just ate," I explained. Birchfall nodded again and sat down to eat.

"Want to talk?" He motioned at the spot beside him. I hesitated, glancing at the darkening sky. I just wanted to close my eyes now, forget about how this was all pretend for me.

I feigned a yawn. "Actually, Birchfall, I think I'm going to go catch some sleep," I meowed as genuinely as I could. I added a little smile as well, once again as genuinely as I could. I gestured at the dusk gathering.

Birchfall grinned. "Of course." He licked my ears again, his eyes warm. "Good night, Dovekit." _Mosskit. _

"Good night," I meowed softly and trudged into the nursery. Jayfeather didn't come and fetch me to go to his den, so I figured it was alright to sleep there. I settled in my mother's nest, which was empty. I closed my eyes and released myself to the dark.

----

The stiflingly warm den was highlighted with streaks of light from the morning sun when I woke. Pelts were brushing against me on every side, and quiet snores echoed all around me. I raised my head just a bit, blinking blearily. Whitewing was curled in a crescent around Ivykit and I, and Dovekit's sister was piled almost on top of me.

I grunted and wriggled out of the mass of fur. No one stirred, and I padded out of the den and into the weak, early morning light. Not many cats had stirred this early, so I was almost alone in the silence.

Berrynose and Brackenfur were standing guard at the entrance, and for once Berrynose was silent. I stifled a laugh as I remembered all his outbursts, the ones I had seen from the Echopool.

I sat by the fresh-kill pile, eying the prey without much enthusiasm. I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't belong here, but I still couldn't resist the allure of life's movement around me. A life I was now a part of, instead of just watching from far away.

"Hey, you're up early." I looked over to my right in surprise to see a pale gray apprentice with black stripes and green eyes. Bumblepaw.

"Oh, hi," I meowed, my ears flicking in surprise at his being there.

Bumblepaw grinned, one eyebrow arched. "Aren't you wondering what I'm doing up this early, too?"

I rolled my eyes teasingly. "I don't know. Why?"

"Blossompaw, of course." He winced dramatically. "Ouch."

I laughed. The noise sounded foreign to my ears, and it was strange that it would feel that way. "What has she done now?" I asked with a smile, forgetting momentarily my estrangement here.

He looked at me with a laugh. "Woken up! That's enough, trust me."

"From what I learned yesterday, she sure can be a pain."

Bumblepaw tilted his head at me, eyes still sparkling good-naturedly. "She's been annoying for loooong before yesterday, my friend," he meowed with a grin.

Mouse-dung! I had slipped up. Of course, I was supposed to have been here all along. Why had I even said that? I had known about Blossompaw's annoyance forever from the Echopool, why had I said just since yesterday? My throat constricted uneasily.

"Yeah, I know," I laughed, but to my ears it didn't sound right. "But after waking up from a fox attack she's even worse." I rolled my eyes with a smile. Oh, Starclan, that was awful. It hadn't even sounded real at all.

But Bumblepaw didn't seem to catch the uneasiness or the forced laugh. "Good. For a second there I thought you were going crazy." His eyes twinkled mischievously.

I smiled back, but it was forced again, and I once again found myself uneasy. "It's a little early…but you want something from the pile?" There wasn't much, just a bit from the dawn hunting patrol of earlier.

Bumblepaw nodded, so I tossed him a mouse and grabbed my own, digging in without pause to cut short any conversation. He ate quickly, devouring his own prey in a few bites.

I picked at mine for a bit before finishing it. I looked at him for a moment, awkwardness swelling in our silence. I was about to say something mouse-brained, no doubt, when Ivykit bounded out of the nursery.

"Hey!" She mrowled, shoving me lightly. "You didn't wait for me! Come on, Dovekit, why are you such an early bird this morning? It's usually _moons _before you get up most mornings!" She prodded me playfully and caught sight of Bumblepaw. "Oh, hi Bumblepaw," she added.

I gestured at my prey, beginning to feel panicky. If I didn't know what Dovekit had done, like slept in, how could I be her? "I was hungry," I explained. "Sorry." I smiled at her apologetically.

"Whatever," she meowed good-naturedly. She grabbed her own prey and began to munch. "You do realize," she mumbled through the prey, "that our apprentice ceremonies are really soon. Yours won't even be delayed, probably!"

I nodded. "Firestar told me it wouldn't be."

"Yes!" She yowled, jumping into the air. "Together forever, right?"

Bumblepaw laughed. "You guys are crazy. I would do anything to not be 'together forever' with Blossompaw."

Ivykit grinned. "It's actually not that hard to believe you two are siblings…" she teased and dodged his paw blow.

"Hey!" Bumblepaw hissed playfully and bowled her over. Ivykit battled back fiercely, taunting and mocking between blows. They collapsed in a heap of giggles a few minutes into the mock fight, and I could only watch their easy interaction with a sinking heart. I shook my fur, as if somehow that could shake the nagging feeling that I didn't belong here. But I knew that wouldn't save me from the truth. Nothing would, not even the great prophecy I had been thrust into without my consent.

**How is it? I would really love some constructive crit., so if you have some for me, that would be great! Next chapter up soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Longest chapter yet, and it's a filler chapter. Bleh. Oh well, it's getting Mosskit to where she needs to be…enjoy!**

* * *

1 Moon Later

* * *

"Jayfeather, we need to talk." Lionblaze padded into the medicine cat den, his voice lowered and insistent. Jayfeather looked at him sightlessly, remaining silent.

"About the prophecy!" Lionblaze hissed, scratching the dirt beneath his paws impatiently.

Jayfeather sighed and heaved himself to his paws. "What about it?"

Lionblaze growled. "Not here! We need to find somewhere safe to talk."

"We're in the deserted medicine cat den," Jayfeather remarked dryly. "Where do you want us to go, the middle of camp?"

Lionblaze glared at him. "Who stomped on your tail? Stop being so grumpy, this is important!"

Jayfeather sighed again. "I know that." He paused, filmy eyes narrowed slightly. "If you want to know about Dovekit, don't ask me. I'm as clueless as you. She should have died—there's no explanation for why she survived and is healing so quickly. I've tried to cover up how impossible it is by passing it off as the wound wasn't as serious as it looks, but the truth is, something strange happened."

"She might be the third," Lionblaze meowed, stating the obvious. "Perhaps her power is healing?" He ventured.

Jayfeather snorted. "I'm the medicine cat, remember? That responsibility goes to me."

Lionblaze sighed. "You never know. Besides, Ivykit hasn't shown any signs of being the third, but this healing-quickly-not-dying thing may mean something."

Jayfeather remained silent, musing it over. "Maybe, maybe not. I had thought Starclan would send us a sign, though. It's been a moon since the fox attack, anyway, and their apprentice ceremony will be any day now."

"Are you saying we should just wait it out and see what Starclan does about it?" Lionblaze meowed, eyes narrowed.

"You know that's not what I mean," Jayfeather mewed gruffly, bowing his head. "But we may just have to trust their guidance this time."

-----

"Today's the big day!" Bumblepaw came bursting into the nursery, paws flailing in the moss. Briarpaw was right behind him, picking her way through the strewn bedding and laughing at her brother's antics. Blossompaw was by Briarpaw's side, eyes giddy with excitement.

"The big day, all right!" She yowled in triumph. "Apprentice ceremony!"

I grinned back at the three apprentices. "You do realize it may not be today, right? You have to be six moons to be an apprentice, but that doesn't mean the day you reach six moons you have your ceremony."

"Oh, come on," Bumblepaw laughed, flicking me with his tail. "With the way we've been bugging Firestar, he'll have no choice!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Yep, with Blossompaw demanding Ivykit and I's ceremonies, of course it would be today, if only to stop the headaches.

The three apprentices had become my closest friends in my moon back here on earth. Back among the living. Today, I was six moons old. Or rather, Dovekit reached her sixth moon today.

Sometimes I felt like a traitor just to be here. Dovekit might have survived, had I not taken her body and awakened to life. She had done this to me, sure, but it didn't lessen the guilt.

Nothing eventful had happened all moon, though. I had basically been trying my hardest to act like Dovekit, just as the real Dovekit had told me a moon ago. No, I haven't heard from her again since then. I haven't heard a single other word about the supposed prophecy, not since Dovekit's warning to act like her and just continue to live until she could speak to me again.

It was worrisome. Dovekit had seemed so frantic to speak to me, so desperate to tell me of the prophecy…but I hadn't spoken to her since then. I hadn't had one single dream from her, or even Starclan. The acrid tang of her urgency pricked the back of my consciousness again, and I suppressed a shiver. _"I will tell you more later, of course, but for now, just don't get caught." _That's what she had said_. "…live like usual, like you would have before. The prophecy will come in time." _

The prophecy would come in time. But I had thought 'in time' would have meant much sooner than this…

"Come on!" Bumblepaw flicked his tail eagerly. "We gotta be waiting out in the clearing so when he _does _call the meeting you two will be ready!"

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are silly. Nothing's going to—woah!" Bumblepaw had wrapped his tail around my foreleg and now he was tugging me forward. I tripped and stumbled forward, and he was still wearing that goofy grin when I got up. I glowered at him, but he just grinned.

"Got your attention?" Wow, he was annoying. "Good," he continued. "Now let's GO!" Briarpaw rolled her eyes at her brother as she passed, but she was grinning just as widely as he was. Blossompaw let out a yelp of happiness and made a grab for Ivykit, as if she was going to drag her out like Bumblepaw was dragging me. Ivykit skittered out of reach and just about leaped over me to escape the hyper apprentice's grasp.

I glared at Bumblepaw's back as he dragged me out, but I couldn't stay angry for long.

The clearing was empty as the five cats came out of the nursery. "Why do you care so much?" I scowled as Bumblepaw let go of my leg. I licked my chest fur in annoyance. "You're already an apprentice."

Bumblepaw's eyes twinkled. "You're right of course. We apprentices are much superior to your kit-ness." My eyes widened in exasperation and I batted his ears with claws sheathed, as much as I wished they weren't sheathed.

Whitewing padded out of the nursery, eyes laughing, her mouth twitching in amusement. Over the past moon she had lost most of her over-protective-craziness, thank Starclan. "Ready for your apprentice ceremony already?"

"Yes!!!" Blossompaw burst out. "Er, they're ready, anyway."

We all laughed, and I felt myself slipping into life like it was really me, not my spirit trapped in a shell for the sole purpose of furthering Dovekit's powers.

Firestar came out of his den, yawning. He blinked when he saw us gathered out in the clearing, two kits on the dawn of their six moon, along with a few apprentices. I could almost hear his mental groan.

He yawned again and clambered down the stones. "Ivykit, Dovekit," he smiled. "I'm guessing you're ready for your apprentice ceremony."

Ivykit nodded, eyes shining. I did as well, my fur beginning to fluff up with excitement. I couldn't help be swept up in the excitement, as much as I usually tried to remain somewhat detached.

"Well, then, we'd better get that done," Firestar meowed, mouth twisting in a grin.

"Yah!" Blossompaw squealed with a bounce.

Briarpaw shook her head. "She's excited too," she explained with a little grin.

"At sunhigh," Firestar meowed. "That way a few patrols can be completed and all your sleeping clanmates can wake up. Sound good?"

"Of course," I spoke up, dipping my head in thanks. "Thank you, Firestar!"

Firestar nodded and went to greet his mate, who had just padded out of the warriors den.

Ivykit grinned. "All _right! _Apprentice ceremony!" Her ears twitched in excitement and I flicked her playfully with my tail.

Ivykit and I wandered around camp all day, our apprentice friends joining us between chores. I wondered who my mentor would be, my thoughts tinged with extra excitement—I had never gotten to be an apprentice the first time around; maybe this was my true second chance. Or maybe I was just waaay too optimistic.

Sunhigh came quickly, not like I would have expected. I had braced for mind numbing slowness, but it arrived just as usual. Ivykit trotted up to me and our faces lit up in grins. "Apprentices together," we mouthed unanimously as Firestar padded out onto the High Ledge.

The whole clan seemed to already be out and waiting before Firestar opened his jaws. They all knew what day it was just from Blossompaw's blathering. Ivykit and I sat nervously grooming our fur while Briarpaw and Bumblepaw gave us encouraging words and smiles. Blossompaw was so hyped and squeaky that I sort of tuned her out.

Firestar beamed down at us from High Ledge. Whitewing and Birchfall were sitting to the sides of Ivykit and I, looking just as excited as us. "Come on up here, Ivykit and Dovekit," he meowed. "You've waited long enough."

_Mosskit, my name is Mosskit… _I thought, but my disappointment was washed away as Ivykit and I bounded up the rocks.

"This is a proud day for Thunderclan," Firestar began, his head raised proudly. "By naming new apprentices we show that Thunderclan will survive and remain strong. Ivykit, from now on until your warrior ceremony you will be known as Ivypaw.

"Lionblaze, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be Ivypaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your strength and bravery to Ivypaw and teach her the skills that will make her a brave warrior of Thunderclan."

Ivypaw bowed her head in thanks and scampered down the rocks to Lionblaze, who then touched noses with her. I shivered in excitement, my fur rising in anticipation.

"Dovekit." He met my eyes, and I beamed back. At least until I caught the look in his eyes. It was buried beneath layers of joy and pride for his clan, but it was there. He was studying me, summing me up. For what? I was fairly certain he hadn't done this to Ivypaw. The smile froze on my face, and I tried desperately to shove away feelings of unease.

"From now on until you become a warrior you will be known as Dovepaw. Cinderheart, you are ready for your first apprentice, and you will be Dovepaw's mentor. I trust you will pass on your determination and strength to Dovepaw, and make her a brave warrior of our clan."

I could have cheered in delight. All my discontent was washed away in that split second. I was finally an apprentice! And to top that, Cinderheart was my mentor! I had always liked what I saw of her from the Echopool, and my moon here had proved my suspicions correct. She was great fun to be around, and she was a brilliant warrior. I raced down the crumbling stones to touch noses with her, and her light blue eyes shone as brightly as my own. The clan began to cheer Ivypaw and I's names, and I swelled in pride and happiness.

The clan ended their chant and came to congratulate my sister and I. Bumblepaw and his siblings were first to come. "All right!" Bumblepaw cheered, and Briarpaw offered us congratulatory words. Blossompaw, of course, was busy being Blossompaw.

Cinderheart came over, her tail flicking happily. She seemed confident, not nervous and unsure of herself like most first time mentors, and for that I was glad. "Come on," she meowed. "I'm sure you're ready for the grand tour!"

I glanced at Ivypaw and her mentor. Lionblaze. That was lucky, he was a great fighter and would probably be a great mentor. But Cinderheart was better, in my opinion. Lionblaze had always seemed preoccupied and distant, and sort of hard to get along with.

My heart thumped wildly. Memories flooded back to me, memories I had pointedly forced away. Lionblaze was one of the Three. The Three I was part of as well. I'd have to face him eventually, wouldn't I? I shook my gaze away from him and back to my mentor, pushing away uneasiness that settled in the pit of my belly.

"Can Ivypaw come!?" I asked my mentor eagerly, remembering Ivypaw and I's vow—together forever. Cinderheart laughed and asked Lionblaze, who agreed. Soon Ivypaw and I were bounding into the forest side by side, chatting away excitedly about being apprentices. Our mentors were close on our paws, pointing out things around the forest. I sucked it all in eagerly, desperate to know absolutely everything I could.

"Will you teach me how to climb?" I asked Cinderheart.

Cinderheart laughed at my eagerness. "Of course!" She meowed. Something flashed in her eyes for a moment, and she waggled her back leg with little smile. "But be careful, you don't want to fall!"

Oh, I remembered now. She had been almost crippled by falling out of a tree. Just like in her past life she had been crippled by that monster… I nodded and couldn't help remembering Cinder_pelt, _and the way Bluestar and Yellowfang broke the rules of Starclan by giving her another life.

"I'll be careful," I meowed. Cinderheart flicked her ears in agreement.

"Good," she replied and continued to teach us more about the forest. I knew it all already, of course, from watching from the Echopool, but it was great to hear it in life and be a part of it. I grinned deviously to myself as I realized how easy my apprenticeship would be—I knew the territory better than my mentor and I had been practicing everything from Starclan.

It was a bit different to actually do the things in life that I could do in Starclan, though. It was much, much harder to get a real body to get in the hunter's crouch than to try it with starlight making everything so much easier. We never tired in Starclan, either, so I guess that attributed to any skills I had mastered there.

"Ok, that's the territory," Lionblaze meowed and Ivypaw grinned broadly at me.

"My paws hurt enough for that to have been all the territories!" I whispered to Ivypaw as we padded side-by-side back to camp. She laughed softly and nodded her agreement.

"What else can we do today?" Ivypaw spoke up as we walked through the camp entrance.

Cinderheart grinned deviously. "Dovepaw is going to learn about apprentice chores, and if Lionblaze is wise, so will you." Ivypaw made a face as her mentor nodded.

"Cinderheart's right," he meowed. "Apprentice chores for you. I'm going to teach you how to collect moss."

"Is that what we're going to do, too, Cinderheart?" I asked my mentor, wanting to do it with Ivypaw.

Cinderheart shook her head. "No, actually, I'm going to teach you how to check the elders for ticks."

"But that's a punishment!" I protested.

"No it's not," Cinderheart meowed with a frown. "It's for the good of the clan. Come on."

I sighed but followed. Ivypaw waved goodbye sadly and followed Lionblaze out to get the moss.

Cinderheart got the mouse bile and began to show me what to do with it, and before an hour had passed I was leaving the elder's den with bile all over my paws. It hadn't actually been as bad as I had thought, even though the scent of the mouse bile was horrible.

"Done?" Cinderheart asked as I padded over to her. I nodded. "Then let's go down to the stream and you can wash your paws, ok?"

"Sure," I meowed and followed her to the stream. The sun was lowering in the horizon and the sky's radiant colors sparkled off the water's surface, and it reminded me of the Echopool. I wondered, suddenly, what was happening in Starclan. I had been missing for a moon—what did my mother think? Was this what it was like living in the clans, never knowing what Starclan was doing, or whether they were even watching over you?

I washed my paws and headed back to camp wearily. It had certainly been a big day, and I was ready for some food. "Go eat with your sister, Dovepaw," Cinderheart meowed with a smile. "You're done with apprentice stuff for the day." I thanked my mentor and dashed over to the pile to find Blossompaw and Briarpaw eating their prey.

"Where're Bumblepaw and Ivypaw?" I asked as I sat down beside them and selected a mole from the pile.

Briarpaw shrugged. "Last time I saw Bumblepaw he was going out to hunt, and Ivypaw was soaking some moss for the queens. Anyway, how was your first day?"

"Yeah, how was it?" Blossompaw chirped.

"Great," I meowed with a grin. "Tiring, but great."

"Yeah," Blossompaw meowed through a mouthful of prey. "It is tiring your first day."

I chatted with them all evening, Ivypaw and Bumblepaw eventually coming to join us. The sun set and we made our way into the apprentice den, where two new nests were waiting invitingly for Ivypaw and I. Sleep came without hesitation, and just before I closed my eyes I wondered if Ivypaw was as tired as I was.


	6. Chapter 6

_ "Mosskit! Mosskit, can you even hear me? No, don't wake up! Keep sleeping…keep dreaming…there. Can you hear me?"_

Yes. As I struggled to stay asleep, but to be able to hear the faint voice, I finally picked up the words.

_"It's Dovekit. I can finally talk to you, but not for long. Not long enough…"_

Why couldn't she talk to me!? Every time I saw her she could never talk, there was never any time.

Dovekit! I thought, wondering if she could hear me. Why haven't you talked to me sooner? About the prophecy?

_I can hear you, _her voice came back, but it was strained. _And, Mosskit, I never have enough time because of the…Mosskit, there's a war. _

What? A war? Where? In the clans, all was peaceful!

_The war that includes you. All Three of you. You need to hear of your powers, but there is no one that can tell you but me. And there is no time…_

Her voice faded out, but I was frozen. The prophecy.

_Mosskit, you need to talk to Jayfeather and Lionblaze!_ Her voice surged back. _They may be able to help you, if only a bit. They know of the prophecy, even if they have not completely unlocked their powers or their memories…_

She was gone. I pushed to consciousness, just wanting to escape what I knew I had to do. Was I selfish to think that way? Was it wrong of me to not want to face the prophecy? I had been given life, and I just wanted to live it. I didn't want to be a part of the prophecy that had haunted me from its beginnings, I wanted to ignore that I was now the Third.

I was awake, but I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I didn't want to deal with anyone right now. Dovekit had insisted that I talk to Jayfeather and Lionblaze, but in truth, I was terrified of immersing myself for real into something I didn't even know much about. Yes, I was from Starclan. I had been in Starclan when the prophecy had first come about. But I was a mere kit, and I didn't see all like the older cats did. Most of the prophecy's meaning was hidden from me. What I had learned was enough to scare me away, though, and it wasn't the prophecy that terrified me. It was what I had felt every time I spoke of it with another Starclan cat, which wasn't often. Every time the prophecy was mentioned, I felt the fear of the older Starclan cats. They were afraid of the prophecy, but even worse, they knew almost nothing about it. And not knowing, that's what set my heart racing with fear.

"Dovepaw!!!" Ivypaw was prodding me in the side with one paw, her eyes wide in eagerness. "Our mentors are waiting for us! Come on, I think they're going to take us for battle training! Our very first battle training!"

"You sound like Blossompaw," I grumbled as I pushed her away. "I'm getting up, I'm getting up." I hope she didn't hear my heart's quick pounding from the dream.

Ivypaw rolled her eyes. "Do not. Come on, come on!"

I got to my paws wearily, shaking the sleep from my mind. Shaking the dream from my mind. Ivypaw dashed out of the den, and I shook the moss out of my pelt and followed her.

Lionblaze and Cinderheart were waiting for us outside of the den. I stared at the ground as I padded up to them, desperately not wanting to think of the prophecy. That was impossible, though, with Lionblaze standing right there.

"Good morning," I muttered to Cinderheart, and she seemed to pass off my rudeness as early morning sleepiness.

She said the same to me and explained that we were going for battle training. I nodded and tried my best to look excited, but Dovekit had shaken me more than I had thought. I padded out to the training hollow, watching as my mentor took her stance in front of me. One thing I had never practiced in Starclan—battle moves. No one fought in Starclan, so why bother?

I stared at her, my eyes picking out the intricacies of her pose and storing it to memory. I shifted my own paws slowly, attempting to replicate her stance. Cinderheart watched me critically, nodding in satisfaction when I was finished. "Good job," she praised. "Almost exact."

I grinned. "So now we get to fight?"

Cinderheart leapt at me, paws outstretched. She landed on me and I was crushed under her bulk with an 'oof'. She batted my ears with sheathed claws and rolled me over. My belly was exposed as a result and she batted at it fiercely. She jumped off and it was all over before I could even react.

"What was that for?" I glowered at my mentor as I picked myself up.

"An enemy's not going to tell you what he does before he does it. Nor am I going to tell you when I will strike."

I squared my shoulders before taking a run at her. "Nor am I!" I yowled as I batted at her chest. Cinderheart grabbed me easily by the scruff and tossed me away, and I skidded across the dust. Her eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Wow, I didn't see _that _coming," she meowed. My eyes widened and I huffed in annoyance.

"Come here, let me show you a move before we start to spar, ok?" Cinderheart meowed, and I trudged over. "I want you to fake a blow to my head and when I rear up, slip under my belly and attack, ok?"

I growled and looked at her before leaping at her face. She backed up and attempted to scratch me, but I was already diving down to her belly. I knew simply following her instructions wouldn't work, though—she was expecting that. So I darted to her right side and batted her right back leg, making her spin in confusion. She turned to attack, but I was smaller and quicker, so I darted around her to her other side, delivering a solid blow to her left back leg.

Now unbalanced, she turned sharply to her left, but I was already diving under her belly to deliver my final blow. I kicked her belly hard with my back legs and she went skidding across the hollow.

She stood and shook her pelt with a smile. "That was really great," she panted. "That's what I wanted from you, to devise your own plan because I knew what was coming. Good job!"

My jaw dropped. And I had thought I was tricking her. I shook my head in confusion and went to try again.

We went back to camp as the sun began to reach its highest point in the sky. I was bruised and battered, but so was Cinderheart. I had gotten the best of her only a few times, though. Ivypaw looked cross as we made our way into camp, and Lionblaze appeared to not have a single scratch on him.

"He's too good!" She hissed as we padded to the apprentice den together. "I mean, I learned all these awesome moves but I can't beat him!" She growled in frustration.

"Cinderheart wasn't much better," I meowed. "She kept tricking me! I couldn't get the upper paw!"

Ivypaw groaned, flexing her muscles. "We're both pretty beat up."

Bumblepaw padded up beside us. "I can see that."

Ivypaw scowled at him. "What, are you suggesting you could do better?"

Bumblepaw grinned. "Of course."

"That's 'cause _Mousewhisker's _your mentor," Ivypaw hissed. "Try having the best fighter in the clan as your mentor!"

Bumblepaw yawned dramatically. "Bring it on. Any day."

"Conceited!" I laughed, batting his ears. He grinned, growling playfully.

"I'll beat you, at least," he said and bowled me over, pinning me down with strong paws.

"Hey! Not fair, you're older!" I meowed and tried to wriggle away.

"All's fair in war," he meowed, not budging.

"_Love _and war, you mean," I corrected him with a glare.

"Whatever," he shrugged and grinned before moving his paws so I could get up.

"Great Starclan," I meowed, taking in a gulp of air. "You _had _to stand on me so I couldn't breathe, didn't you?"

Bumblepaw just laughed and trotted away. "Arrogant tom," I muttered, getting to my paws. Ivypaw nodded in agreement and rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat, wanna come?" Ivypaw meowed after a moment, gesturing to the fresh kill pile. My stomach churned as I remembered what Dovekit had told me—I still needed to talk with Lionblaze and Jayfeather, as much as I didn't want to.

I shook my head. "Actually, I think I'm going to, um, talk to Cinderheart."

"Ok," Ivypaw meowed and padded over to the fresh kill pile, where Briarpaw was already eating. I sighed heavily, deliberating. I really didn't want to talk to Lionblaze and Jayfeather…

But then I saw Lionblaze slip into the medicine cat den and knew it was now or never. I firmed my resolve and strode into the den, and Jayfeather and Lionblaze looked up in surprise.

"Jayfeather, Lionblaze? I need to talk to you."

Lionblaze shot his brother a look. "About?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm the Third of the prophecy."

**What do you guys think? This story going well? Is Mosskit an ok character? Are the new personalities I gave Blossompaw, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw ok? Pleeeese review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry! This chapter is so short it's shameful. But I had to end it where I did…you'll see.**

I squared my shoulders, bracing myself for a barrage of shock and disbelief. I had just admitted to being the third of the prophecy that I wasn't even supposed to know about!

One of Lionblaze's eyebrows rose, but it was barely perceptible. He turned to face his brother, an 'I told you so' look scrawled across his features.

Jayfeather grumbled something under his breath and turned to me with a cross expression. "How do you know?" He growled.

"I…I…" This was totally unexpected. I had expected shock, and disbelief, yes, but not like this. I hadn't expected any hostility!

"How do you know?" He repeated, eyes narrowed.

"Erm…" I didn't know what to say. I certainly couldn't tell them everything that had happened to me, they would write me off as insane, or worse, an imposter.

Lionblaze shouldered his brother aside with a glare. "Don't mind him," he meowed to me. "We already knew you were the One."

"How?" I gasped.

"Lionblaze had a hunch," Jayfeather cut in. "He didn't know for sure. I still don't know for sure," he growled. Lionblaze flicked him sharply with his tail.

"I did have a hunch, but it was well based. When you healed so quickly from the fox attack, that was highly unusual. 'Highly unusual' sets my brother and I apart as well. Ivypaw hadn't displayed any signs of any sort of power, so I figured you must be the One. And now you have confirmed that." He looked at me encouragingly. "So, how did you realize you were the One?"

"A…dream," I said weakly. "A Starclan cat came to me in my dreams and, uh, told me about the prophecy. Well, a little bit about it, anyway. And then she told me I was the third member of the prophecy." I was lying, even though there was some truth in it. I felt miserable; surely the prophecy wasn't meant to be shrouded in secrets?

Lionblaze seemed to buy it. He nodded, looking pointedly at Jayfeather.

"Who came to you?" Jayfeather demanded.

"I don't know," I replied. _Erm, the cat who's body I'm living in came to me, actually. I'm not even the cat you think I am!_

Jayfeather shook his head. "Whatever you say, Dovepaw." His light blue eyes pierced into mine through the shroud of their blindness.

Lionblaze watched his brother storm out of the medicine cat den in dismay. "I have no idea why he's acting like this," he apologized to me. "I believe you, and he should, too."

I nodded silently, fear pricking at my heart. Could Jayfeather somehow see that I wasn't what I appeared to be?

"I have to go talk to him," Lionblaze meowed. "You can go. I guess we'll talk to you more about the prophecy later." He hurried out, tail swishing as he disappeared beyond the entrance to the den.

I sighed and padded out as well. That hadn't gone anything like I had thought it would, and it had left me more baffled and lost than before.

_Dovekit, where are you? And why can't you speak to me?_

I wandered over to the fresh kill pile, but Ivypaw and Briarpaw were already gone. I was alone and confused, lost in a prophecy. I sighed, my head drooping and tail dragging in the dust, and for once I actually wished I was back in Starclan, where everything was so much simpler.

"Hey!" I heard an indignant cry coupled with a thumping noise. There were a few screeches and the sound of scuffling. I raised my head, surprised, to see Bumblepaw fleeing from the apprentice's den, moss balls snared in his fur.

"Run!" He meowed with a mock expression of horror as he came to a stop near me, panting. "Your sister, she's pelting us all with moss balls!" He dashed away, and Ivypaw burst out of the den.

"Get back here!" She yowled, moss balls that were hooked to her claws dragging in the dirt. She launched herself after him, hurling her last few moss balls at him. Bumblepaw cried out and pitched forward, finally landing in a pile of fur on the ground.

"Ha!" Ivypaw crowed triumphantly. She trotted away from him and came to sit by me. "Hey, Dovepaw. Want to join in the war?"

"Those are kit games," I grumbled, looking away. "I think I'm going to go sleep." I stalked away, and Ivypaw stared after me, looking hurt.

"Well, fine," I heard her mutter, but I didn't reply. I padded into the nest and curled into a ball, covering my ears to drown out my friends' laughter.

_Blackness. It seeped over everything like poison, deadly and thick. The field laid desolate, thousands of flowers crumpled to the ground, their stems thin and broken. A thin wail pierced the air, like each tiny flower was surrendering with a final cry. Once-white petals lay scattered in the dead grass, their pristine glow violated by tendrils of shadow creeping along their soft surface. A heavy black haze hung in the air, blurring the clarity and sharp beauty of what the field had once been. Fallen tree trunks circled the clearing in an eerie border, forming a perfect circle. Every log was the exact same size, connecting smoothly from one to another. Dull gray stones formed a circle at the very center of the clearing, each stone jagged and broken. Water still lay in the small pool, though it was murky and blackened. Everything was destroyed, as if the field had been broken into pieces and then tossed to the dark of evil. _

_ But no—a dim light glinted from the pool. A single flower seemed to be blooming right then, from the center of the pool. It unfurled slowly, its petals spreading. Each blindingly white petal was almost transparent, with iridescent light sparkling from every gleaming fiber of the plant. It grew up from the water, as if it was a defiant, last stand for the field. Light burst vibrantly from it suddenly, and a desperate scream rang through the air. Pristine white shot through the black of the water, and it churned violently before shining dully with light. The light's strength grew…slowly…_

_ A howl split the air, grating and unearthly. A tremor shook the earth, and a terrible crack rent the field in two. The fallen trees' gray leaves rustled wildly, and the whole field trembled violently. Waves tossed through the pool and crashed over the delicate flower. The flower crumpled slowly, sinking to the bottom of the pool. Deeper…deeper…the light in the pool retreated as the flower, lost beneath the now-murky depths, glowed one final time before being overcome by shadow._

_ A grating laugh echoed over the field before everything stilled suddenly, and the field lapsed into finally defeated silence. The water in the pool quivered one final time before slowly disappearing, evaporating, until only a crumpled and blackened flower stem remained at the stone pool's base._

Starclan. That was Starclan. That was my field, with the Echopool standing, now drained, at its center. That was my sanction, rent in half by some demon wail and blackened by some evil. That was my home, destroyed.

**Oh no!!!! What's going on here! And we finally delve into my convoluted plot…and this is nowhere near the least of it!**


	8. Chapter 8

My heart shattered. There, staring at the field as it began to grow dim and fade from my vision, my eyes grew wide and I could only stare in agony at my sanctuary, destroyed. I felt myself falling then, slipping away from the dream's cruel clutches and back into reality, however twisted it had become.

How could I open my eyes, when I couldn't see clearly in my own head? The last vision of my withering paradise surged before closed eyes, and I fought back a sob. Just a dream, just a dream…and yet it had hurt me so badly, like a claw twisted mercilessly inside. My blood was streaming out, and yet I couldn't quite see the wound. I could only feel it with every reluctant throb of my pained heart.

How attached I had become, without even realizing it. Starclan was a paradise, my paradise, as broken a one as it may have been. The Echopool cradled my soul. A sick wash of despair crashed over my head, enough to make my breath hitch and become ragged as I squeezed my eyes shut. _"You cannot live with a paw in both worlds, Firepaw." _Isn't that what Bluestar had said? What my mother had told the legend? I heard her again, whispering in my ear. _"You cannot live with a paw in both worlds, Mosskit." _I was more a part of Starclan than I had realized. And yet every cat's heart called to life, and I was no exception. Life was the tantalizing aroma from the lifeblood of prey, something that every cat needed, but Starclan…for me, Starclan was the smell of home, the scent of your clanmates waiting for you back at camp.

But nothing had changed, really. As terrible as it felt to be wrenched from Starclan and dream of some demise-whether it was set in actuality or a figment of my imagination, I wouldn't go back, that I knew. Not if I didn't have to. Life was too powerful an allure, because it wasn't just a scent. It was everything to anyone. It was paradoxical, but it was true.

I opened my eyes. The den was the same, of course. Nothing really had changed. Apprentices slept around me, sides rising and falling gently as I lurched to my paws and shook myself. I felt disoriented by the fevered vibrancy of my dream; I shook my head and padded wearily out of the den.

It wasn't quite dawn yet, so very few cats were actually awake. I hunched down by the fresh-kill pile, eyes flicking dully across the meager grouping left over from the previous night.

"Hey." There was a gentle poke in my side, and a bright voice greeting me. I didn't have to look over to know it was Bumblepaw.

"Mmph," I muttered back, a yawn stretching my jaws without warning.

"In this clan, we usually say hi to each other in the mornings," he teased lightly, stretching. "Anyway, want to go on patrol? Mousewhisker's taking me and he offered you an invite."

I sighed. "I suppose."

He was looking at me strangely, and then his gaze sobered. "What's up with you? I don't know what's going on, but you've been like this for a while. Like you don't want to even get up in the mornings." He looked almost aggravated, but more as if he was concerned.

"Why do you even care?" I snapped, my ears flattening.

At this, Bumblepaw growled. "I'm your clanmate, in case you haven't noticed. Usually that means having a sense of concern for each other. But if you can't even be civil, then I don't really see the need." He got to his paws angrily and stalked away.

I was past caring at the moment. I was still coiled in my dream, trying to shake the awful memories. The implications it held, real or not, were too much for me to deal with, and Bumblepaw's teasing wasn't going to make it any easier. _Mosskit…there's a war. _My mind snapped back to Dovepaw's-the real Dovepaw-words. A war…even when there was peace here in the clans. What kind of a war was that? And why couldn't Dovepaw speak to me? I was so confused; I needed her more than ever. Not that my dependence on a six moon old dead kit was reassuring, anyway. She was younger than me, and if you count being dead as aging, I had more knowledge and…maturity, I guess, than most senior warriors. Dovepaw's presence was unnerving—she had a sense of great power and experience that was greater than any other cat. Though that was just her prophecy, right? But if that made sense, then Jayfeather and Lionblaze should theoretically be the same. Nope, they weren't.

"Dovepaw." There was a short yawn that interrupted the syllables of the name, and I looked behind me to see Lionblaze standing behind me, his ginger pelt looking recently groomed down.

"Yeah," I replied, mustering up a bit more enthusiasm than I had with Bumblepaw.

"If you _are _a part of this prophecy, Dovepaw, which I don't doubt, then we need to talk again. About all of this." He waved his tail in a broad gesture. "We need to get on the same level."

I nodded slightly, studying his expression. He seemed serious, and I knew he was right—somewhat. I still couldn't tell them everything. "And Jayfeather?"

"Him too, of course. I thought that was implied." He threw a glance toward the medicine cat den.

"Talk's not going to get it done," the familiar gruff meow of the medicine cat carried across camp to us. He stepped out of his den and stalked over to us, his sightless eyes sharp. "You know as well as I do, Lionblaze, that that's not what the prophecy is about."

Lionblaze turned to look at him, motioning slightly with his tail toward me. Jayfeather only regarded me coldly and continued padding over to us. "Then what is it about? It hasn't exactly revealed anything to us, yet." Lionblaze's voice was lowered.

I did a quick take around camp, realizing with the change of Lionblaze's tone the fact that we had been brazenly discussing the prophecy in the middle of the camp. No one was around, except for Cloudtail, who had just padded back from the dirt-making place to resume his duty as entrance guard. I assumed he hadn't been there while we were talking and that his reappearance was the reason for the new hushed meows.

"Did you ever think that the prophecy wasn't meant to hold our paw? That we might have to figure it out for ourselves?"

"Snooping around in other cats' dreams isn't going to get us anywhere, Jayfeather," Lionblaze hissed back in annoyance.

I watched the exchange, feeling a sense of disappointment at the notion that they were as clueless as I was. Somehow I had been under the impression they would actually get us through the prophecy—whatever the prophecy meant.

"I suppose you want to talk about Dovepaw," Jayfeather interrupted without warning, turning his eerie eyes back to mine. He held his gaze right to mine, which surprised me. How could he find my eyes if he was blind?

Lionblaze hesitated, looking at me and then back to his brother. "Not specifically, about the prophecy in general. But yeah."

Jayfeather hissed quietly. "Then I suggest we take this elsewhere before the entire clan wakes up." Lionblaze glanced around and then nodded.

"Let's go then," Lionblaze mewed, padding into the medicine cat den. "Keep it quiet, though," he warned as I followed him in, with Jayfeather bringing up the rear.

"No, Lionblaze, I'm going to yell all our secrets to Firestar in a fit of stupidity," Jayfeather hissed. "Of course I'll be quiet." He stopped, then looked at me. "You may have been directing that at the kit, though."

I bristled, but chose not to answer. Lionblaze gave him a reproachful look but didn't reply, either. There was a second of uncomfortable silence and everyone seemed unsure of themselves for a moment before Lionblaze tentatively opened his jaws. "You haven't learned much of the prophecy, have you?"

I shook my head. This was more true than he knew.

"Then I guess we'd better tell you," Jayfeather broke in with a sour expression on his face. "If you are the real third of the prophecy."

"I am," I affirmed, attempting to harden my features into a confident expression. My voice was small and quiet, though, and too late I realized that was all that Jayfeather could judge by. He didn't seem convinced, either.

He turned and meowed something quietly to Lionblaze, who responded with a growl. "We have to trust her, alright? The prophecy doesn't call for secrets." Ignorant of his brother's hissed suspicions, he turned to look at me. "Dovepaw, you know we have powers, which means you would have some, too," he stated without hesitation. "I seem to be able to fight without being wounded, and Jayfeather can walk in other cats' dreams."

I watched Jayfeather carefully for a moment, judging his expression. His eyes narrowed, but he barely seemed to react. Figured he'd be past obvious emotion. I nodded again, beginning to feel like a mouse-brain. "I don't know what, if any, powers I have," I spoke up, "but I do know that I had a dream and I was told that I was the third."

I don't know what I had expected, for us to click or something through the prophecy, that we would all be open to one another, but it certainly didn't happen that day. I wasn't Hollyleaf, I wasn't close to them at all. They could tell me about the prophecy all they wanted, and I could agree and contribute all I wanted, but we weren't a group. We weren't the Three I had imagined.

We finished up our impromptu conversation awkwardly, with Jayfeather suspicious all the while and Lionblaze trying doggedly to keep the halting talk continuous.

"Patrol," Cinderheart meowed brightly as I trudged out of the medicine cat den. I nodded mutely, something I had been doing plenty of recently, and followed her out of camp with the other cats on patrol, Dovekit's words ringing in my ears. _Mosskit…there's a war._


End file.
